Ahem, +Dan Gillmor - it in fact is Google/YouTube that blocks these videos. They could decide to simply ignore this GEMA stuff but as they face possible damages, they (Google/YouTube) simply block everything that remotely contains music.

It's a disastrous pissing contest that drags on sicne years. But it definitely is NOT GEMA that is blocking access. Blame where blame is due.﻿

+Malthus John Google offered something like 10% of its profit. And that is indeed only $0.0009 per click. The $0.05 per click is 80% of the overall revenue, i.e. YouTube would need to seek a way to double its income to stay in business.﻿

+Bernd Paysan GEMA refuses to use the content scanning system that Youtube offers. Instead they send lists with videos to courts. Google adds these clips (and more) to their blocking lists. It is splitting hairs, I know, but the simple statement "GEMA blocks videos in germany" is misleading at the very least.﻿

+Jan Wildeboer What is misleading? GEMA makes sure by legal actions that these videos are blocked. If GEMA would stop these legal action, and accept the Google offer (which they did until 2009), everybody (with the exception of the top-3500 artists and music publishers who get money from the GEMA) would be happy.﻿

+Bernd Paysan Google blocks more videos as GEMA demands. Google blocks effectively all videos with music from any label that is GEMA member. As they go bexond the requests, they block themselves. qed and EOT. ﻿

+Jan Wildeboer The GEMA is lying to us. They block through the "Schiedsstelle" at the DPMA, not directly. But they do block, by the thousands, not just by the dozend they had blocked through LG Hamburg.﻿